The $10 million in unpaid fines in the Tauranga region makes a joke of the justice system according to the Sensible Sentencing Trust.

In the year ending June 30, 2010, a total of $25,810,488 worth of fines was issued for payment by Tauranga District Court, but 40 per cent was not paid.

Tauranga Sergeant Lester Polglase issues a fine.

Most of the fines are for traffic infringement notices such as speeding, using a mobile phone while driving, not stopping at a stop sign or giving way, having worn tyres, not having a warrant of fitness or registration or breaking other road rules.
Sensible Sentencing Trust Tauranga spokesperson Ken Evans says the unpaid fines show people are laughing at the justice system.
'Many of them have a multiple number of fines and they just keep getting them and laughing.
'If our justice system is that slack, then it's meaningless. What's the point? It's a meaningless exercise.”
The 31,630 unpaid fines, was a slight decrease from 35,393 the previous year.
Figures supplied by the Ministry of Justice include court imposed reparations for various criminal offences.
Nearly $700,000 was for reparations connected to dishonesty offences, $199,996 for reckless, careless or dangerous driving, $24,255 for drink driving and $120,249 for damaging property.

Multiple fines
Ken says prison should be considered for those who continually fail to pay their fines.
'You can easily look at other countries that do that, like the US. In some states in America, if you don't pay your fines, well, see how you like some jail time and the fines get paid real quick.”
He believes the law should make it easier for the Ministry of Justice to seize property if fines remain unpaid, but says the issue is being put in the 'too hard basket”.
'What happened in our country is that discipline went away.

Take their cars
'The day the justice system goes around and takes their property from them in lieu of their fines – takes their cars, takes their motorbikes and really makes the punishment felt, that's the day when things will change.”
The Ministry of Justice collected a total of $254.8 million in fines across New Zealand during the last year, an increase from $240.4 million the previous year.
If fines remain unpaid, the ministry has enforcement options such as clamping vehicles, seizing and selling property, making compulsory deductions from people's incomes and preventing overseas travel.